ChaptersChapter 29Page 3,934

Chapter 29: Brief Darshans & Seclusions

1956Page 3,934 of 5,444
Their train pulled in at 11:00 P.M., and after bidding goodbye to his lovers, Baba took his seat in a third-class coach. The whole night was spent in bhajan singing and listening to amusing tales. Baba touched the heart of every lover and cracked jokes with them to keep the drowsy ones awake. Bachoobhai's singing was a constant source of pleasure to Baba, and at every station Hoshang Bharucha loudly shouted Baba's Jai. He eventually got a sore throat, and Baba forbade him to shout and made him sit beside him. Hoshang placed a soft pillow of his behind Baba's back. Arti was sung in the train a few times. Sometimes the atmosphere was gay and lively, and at times, serious. The Navsari, Bombay and Poona lovers had Baba's close company throughout the journey and were indeed fortunate.
At one point, Baba remarked to Hoshang, "If you not only desire but pine for union with me for twelve years without a moment's rest, you will attain God-realization!"
When the train halted at Surat, the Navsari lovers got down to return to Navsari by a local train. Hoshang recalled: "When we got off the train and were standing on the station, we were all in tears. All of us were crying, because Baba was leaving us. We felt Baba was going out of our hearts. We had been so engrossed in Baba for two full days that the world had ceased to exist for us. Only Baba existed for us at that time."
Just as the train whistled, Baba suddenly remembered the pillow and pulled it from behind his back.
"What about your pillow?" he asked Hoshang. "May I keep it?"
Hoshang replied, "Yes, of course, Baba. It is yours." Baba held the pillow to his chest, a sign to Hoshang of how much Baba loved him.
Now only the Bombay and Poona lovers were left in the train, and Baba chatted with them about different things. He asked Sorabji Siganporia about the Bombay Center's activities, and before the train stopped at Bombay, his arti was sung once again.
Baba embraced every man and woman and told them, "I will meet you again on 6 February, just before I go into seclusion for one year, starting from the 15th."
They reached Bombay at 6:00 A.M., and Baba and the mandali went to Ashiana. They had tea and breakfast, and the same day (31 January) Baba and the mandali were driven in Meherjee's car to Satara.
The journey to Gujarat was to be the last time in his life Meher Baba ever traveled anywhere by train.
From Wednesday, 1 February 1956, villagers from neighboring places began coming to Satara for Baba's darshan, and Baba saw them for an hour each day as promised. Some residents of Satara also had the opportunity of his darshan at this time, and one man from among them, V. Swarankar Rangole, became very close in his contact.
After the Navsari and Bajwa journey, Baba sent Kumar back to Dehra Dun and instructed him not to return to Satara for a year.
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